early to bed...should I do early to rise?

[motherinferior]

In a few days, as dd2 fully wakes up to the world, I'm going to start doing Proper Bed-time (slightly dreading it, as it slaughters what little evening dp and I have at the moment, but I know it has to happen). This time, working around dd1, I imagine I'll put her in her carry-co, by our bed, 7.30ish, maybe at 8 when dd1 goes off to her room.

Night-time, obviously, is a bit of a theoretical construct as I'll be up and down feeding her - dd1 did start sleeping for the earlier chunk of the night, but woke up several times after that for feeding until I thought I'd go mad (at which point we suddenly reached a harmonious agreement and she turned into slumbering cherub). Having said which, do you think I should get her up in the mornings along with the rest of us (I need breakfast after a hard night's feeding, even on the days when dd1's with her childminder!)? She - and I - can always go back for a nap afterwards (isn't this a GF tip anyway)? What do you think?

Sorry to sound vague and untogether. Am sinking into that vacuum of new motherhood...

Motherinferior - sounds like you had similar problems with dd1 to the one that I am having at the moment with ds. I feed him at 2/2.30am and he is really unsettled after that until morning. Very cheered to hear that she suddenly grew out of it - what happened, how long did it go on for? I need a light!

Re your question - I think what you are asking is should you get your dd2 up in the morning with you? GF routines run from 7-7 so you can fit all the feeds in - so if you want to try and follow her in some way then its prob a good idea and you are right dd2 will prob want a nap two hours later for an hour. I am no expert though - a veritable novice with a 10week old first born!

How old is dd2? my ds is nearly 10 weeks and we only got 7pm bed time completely cracked at about 6 weeks after lots of perserverence.

PK - with dd1 she was an absolute nightmare for ages, and then at about 3.5 months I suddenly realised 'hey, she isn't supposed to need feeding at night'. By that point I was sleeping so lightly that I was alerted every time she rustled (and I also kept hearing the neighbours having sex at 2am which really was sooooo not what I wanted to listen to...)- but OTOH I realised if I was too knackered to go to her immediately, and/or went off to the loo, she'd quite often fall asleep again. So I tried waiting till she actually started wailing - and in a few nights she was sleeping through. I was very, very lucky I think, though.

Does this help?
Will give bed-times a go!

About the only thing from GF I thought was a good idea was the bit about always starting your day at the same time (give or take half an hour or so!).

motherinferior, how old is dd2?

Really Soupy? I'm afraid I'm of the opinion that if they are asleep leave them! If dd sleeps till 9 that's fine by me, I just cut her nap down (or she does herself) but she does always go to bed between 7 and 8 cos I love my evenings!

DD2 is very little, only a couple of weeks. I'm just at that stage where you contemplate anything for a bit of sleep. I am not usually a GF sort of person!

Motherinferior is your baby breast or bottlefed? I found that my bottlefed babies were easier to get into a routine..however they found that themselves, the first one after 3 weeks and the second after 6. With my third child who was breastfed I have to say it did take quite a while longer.

She's breastfed - and, particularly in this weather, this means erratic/frequent feeding. She is beginning to get into a bit of a routine at night. I know I just have to take it one day at a time and suddenly she'll be 16 and never wanting to get up in the mornings but oh how I wish....

Oh, and also it's a problem doing bed-time with dp, who is a lot more laid back about these things than me. Probably because he doesn't have boobies.